


Blind Justice

by DollBlood



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Derogatory Language, Homophobia, Implied Sexual Content, JD is Bi, M/M, Racism, Unhealthy Relationships, and an arsonist, and black - Freeform, blind black and gay, f-slur, oc is blind, oc knew JD from another town, starts off between murder 1 and murders 2 and 3, theres some JD/Veronica but its mostly JD/Oc, this is just doubling the trouble
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2018-10-26 01:33:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10776678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollBlood/pseuds/DollBlood
Summary: "What did your boyfriend say when he found out you were moving to Sherwood Ohio?""I said "fuck that," burnt my house down, and followed him across the country."That was only a half truth, though. meeting up with JD again after three years was just a happy accident.





	1. Parrot Grunge

**Author's Note:**

> this is... so self indulgent...
> 
> Also, I'm not blind so i may have messed some stuff up with the portrayal of it. If you've got concerns or ideas of how i can improve, don't hesitate to tell me!
> 
> this is kinda a mix between the movie and musical cause i love both? JD has his bike from the movie cause who doesn't like cool guys on motorcycles?

Two new kids at Westerburg High was a rare occurrence. Sherwood Ohio was the middle of nowhere; people didn't move there for fun, or to see the sights; either you live there because you grew up there and can't leave, or you get the fuck out.

Yet here we are. Two weeks after Jason Dean had made a name for himself as the annoying edgy new kid, he found himself no longer taking the brunt of the usual teasing, and it didn't have anything to do with the gun full of blanks in his pocket.

He felt for the guy. Really, he did. Not only was he black in a white Christian town, he was also fucking blind. JD could see the multitude of jokes festering in his classmate's heads before the kid even got introduced to the class. The way he dressed like he was a grungy parrot also didn't help him get respect from his peers, though since he couldn't see, he probably wouldn't get much shit for that.

JD only paid attention for a few more seconds as the kid made his way to a seat right in front of the teacher. He couldn't really care less when he was focusing on getting Veronica to stop being mad at him.

You make one girl accidentally commit suicide and suddenly your girlfriend can't stand the sight of you. What a world. 

English passed quickly since he didn't listen to the lesson, instead using the time to doodle in his notebook. He tried to ignore the quiet back and forth of students making fun of the new kid, calling him a f*g for the way he dressed and the like. It wasn't his problem to take care of some random kid.

Soon enough, and after too many slurs to count, the bell rang and he was free. Last class of the day meant he could go track down Veronica and try to make amends.

The room had cleared out quickly, but as he reached the door, he realized that the new kid was still in his seat, tapping his fingers on his desk. JD stopped and watched him for a moment before speaking up.

"Hey bud, school's over. You can leave."

His head turned vaguely in his direction and he gave a small smile. His eyes were hidden behind the God awful rainbow-metallic lenses of his shades. He reached up and fiddled with one of the rings that pierced his ears.

"I know. But do you honestly expect a blind kid to walk into that sea of sweat and bodies and make it out alive? I'll wait until my aunt comes pick me up."

JD hesitated, debating whether he should at least help the guy get outside, but he could see Veronica through the crowd, and he needed to get going.

"Ok, well don't get locked in."

The kid smirked, made a finger gun almost in his direction, and he ran off to catch up with his girlfriend.

* * *

 

Veronica didn't run from him this time, so he counted that as a win, even though she was clearly ignoring him.

"Did you know there's another new kid? I'm not the baby of senior year anymore!" JD joked, and Veronica rolled her eyes.

"A baby wouldn't kill the most popular girl in school."

"Ouch, you got me. But you're talking to me again!"

She sighed, giving in.

"So did you meet this new kid?"

"Kinda. He sticks out like a sore thumb. He looks like if a parrot decided to roll around in the mud. But that might just be because he's blind."

"Blind?"

He leaned back and stuck his hands in his pockets as they walked to the parking lot.

"Yep! That's basically all I know. Besides the rumor he's a raging homosexual, but I heard that from the asshole in front of me in English so who knows."

Veronica hummed and looked around, looking for her Heathers, probably, but they weren't anywhere to be seen. She slowly grabbed his elbow as he made his way to his motorcycle, and he looked away to hide the grin that spread across his face at her action.

"Wait, is that him?" She pulled on his arm and pointed across the parking lot where the doors of the school were. JD followed her gaze and saw - yep, that was him. He was a few inches taller than the black woman leading him carefully towards a pale pink car. His shorts, in all their silver spandex glory, reflected the sunlight directly into his eyes until he had to look away.

"Yep, that certainly is."

"Woah." She giggled. "How is he allowed to leave his house like that?"

"Maybe being blind means he gets a free pass on frying everyone's retinas. Do you need a ride home?"

Veronica looked around the emptying parking lot one more time and sighed.

"Yeah. But this doesn't mean I've let you off the hook. I'm still pissed."

"Of course, my love, I wouldn't give you rides in exchange for your friendship, what kind of asshole does that?"

He grabbed his helmet and popped it on Veronica's head before getting on his bike. He wasn't risking her getting hurt, as much as she wanted him to wear it. His life didn't matter in comparison to hers.

* * *

"How was your first day of school at Westerburg, Justice?" Aunt Misty asked as they walked out of the school together. Her grip on his arm was gentle, allowing him to shake her off and use his cane if he wanted. He didn't, but he appreciated the sentiment.

"I want you to call me Acosmist, Aunt Misty. I told you already. And it was ok. Only got called fag seven times, so I lost the bet with uncle Joshua."

Misty laughed, and let him go when they reached the passenger side of her pastel pink Ford Mustang. He fumbled for the door handle, and got into the car on his own, only realizing that she had intended for him to do it on his own when the car started the moment he sat down. He smiled.

"We've lived here longer than you, sweetheart, your uncle would know how the locals act."

"Can't blame me, ma'am, this is a hick town compared to Chicago."

"Don't you go calling your gracious guardians hicks, after they so lovingly took you in!"

"Awe, Misty, I'm sorry, you do put up with me and let me do my own thing. It's a nice change."

She laughed softly, but without humor. "My sister did always fret over you too much. You can't see, but you ain't stupid. I think you know your way around my house better than me, and you've only been here a few days!"

Acosmist cracked his knuckles and leaned back in his seat.

"Anyways, you make any friends?"

"Seven people called me fag, Aunt Misty. That's not a basis for friendship." He thought for a moment, "though one guy reminded me to not get locked inside the school when I didn't get up when the bell rang. That's about as friendly as it got."

"Well I'm sure tomorrow will either get you more slurs, or someone takin' pity on you for putting up with slurs. That's the only way white people here really befriend us here in Hick-ville."

He snorted. "Look who's sayin' it now."

"You shut up."


	2. Pastel Pink Mustang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JD finds out who that new kid _really_ is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best thing about writing this character is looking up black fashion in the 80s cause everyone looks amazing (and then you see the white people copying it and just looking like garbage lmao)

The next day, last period, JD sat back in his seat and watched in horror as once again the new kid came in wearing the absolute worst fashion he had seen, even for the eighties. He had seen a lot of fashions from all over the US, but no one had clashed them all together into one outfit before.

The kid wore overalls, the legs of which had been ripped to high heaven and were staying attached by the sheer force of will. He still wore those terrible shades, and once again he wore an over sized jacket, but this one was decorated in blindingly neon blocks of color. When he sat down and kicked his feet up into his desk, JD could see that his shoes were Jordans decorated with something about Chicago.

He had been to Chicago, back when he was fourteen. It was the longest he and his dad stayed in one place after his mom died. There was a lot of deconstruction to do in the not so great neighborhoods there.

He pulled his gaze away from the walking fashion disaster and stared instead at the upper corner of the room as the teacher walked into the room. They were doing some sort of project, but he couldn't really pay attention. Memories of Veronica behind him on his bike yesterday filled his head instead of whatever the teacher was saying. He crinkled the water bottle he had been drinking from and sighed, trying to ignore the bustle of his classmates as they moved around the classroom into groups.

Wait.

He blinked and looked around as the class was split of into pairs and he didn't have a partner. He looked up front as the new kid was standing, towering, over the teacher and she looked around before locking eyes with him.

Fuck.

She smiled and lead the kid to his aisle, but he shook her off when she tried to take him all the way there. He touched the desk to his right and carefully made his way down the aisle, touching each desk to keep himself from tripping. He reached his desk, counted on his fingers, then turned in his direction, slowly lifting his hand, then rested it on his head.

"You Jason?" He asked, his voice low to not bring attention to himself, in a blatant contradiction from how he looked.

"Yeah. What's going on?" JD asked as he sat across from him.

"No fuckin clue dude. Some sort of group project."

"Well I could put that together. Jeez the teacher's gonna kill us."

The kid just smirked and raised his hand, and the teacher rushed over faster than JD had ever seen a teacher move at Westerburg.

"Yes, Justice?"

"Sorry ma'am, neither of us were paying full attention. What is it we're supposed to be doing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I not clear enough? You need to work with your partner to research a classic book of your choosing, and present your work next week. You just need to come up with a topic today, ok?"

"Yes ma'am thank you."

She wandered back to her desk and the kid smirked.

"Perks of being blind: teachers don't give you shit cause they don't want to be sued."

JD laughed and reached for his water bottle.

"So Justice, huh? Blind Justice?"

He frowned and sighed.

"Fuck off, my parents were dicks."

"Don't like your name?" He asked as took a drink.

"I prefer Acosmist, actually."

JD's eyes widened and he leaned forward quickly, spitting all the water across the desk in surprise.

Acosmist sat still and quirked an eyebrow at JD before wiping a hand down his now wet face.

"Thanks. Thanks for that."

"Acosmist?" JD looked him up and down, trying to put together the puzzle in his head. The shoes advertising Chicago, being a blind black kid named Justice, fuck, he forgot his only friend in Chicago had been named Justice. He forgot he had given him a nickname from day one.

"Yeah. I had a... uh... a friend who called me that and I liked it better than Justice. You have a problem?"

JD smiled widely and reached over the desk to grab his shoulders, and he frowned in return.

"Dude."

"Acosmist! Dude, it's me! Jason Fucking Dean! I haven't seen you in years!"

Acosmist froze, his mouth working like a fish out of water, then he frowned deeper.

"You better not be fucking with me, man." He said as he reached up and held onto a ring on a necklace around his neck. It was shitty, plastic, and too small for his fingers. Like something you'd win at an arcade. Something he had won at an arcade.

"I got you that ring when you beat me at ski ball at the arcade on Second Street. I used up all my tickets and wouldn't talk to you for like an hour!"

His expression lightened as he spoke, and by the end he was laughing. He reached across the desk and fumbled to find his shoulder, then trailed his hand up to touch his face. JD leaned forward to let him feel him out, and he could feel his arms shake from laughter.

"Man, it's been - it's been so long, I didn't think I'd ever meet you again. Damn I wish I could see your expression right now."

"Well I can see yours, and it's as nice as I hope mine is." He smiled, and Acosmist let his hand drop to trace the curve of it, and sighed before leaning back and cracking his knuckles.

"What are you even doing here?" JD asked after a moment, and Acosmist smiled nervously.

"Later. To many people around to explain in detail. You'll love it, though."

"Oh man, now I'm interested."

He just shook his head and kicked his feet up into the desk.

"So you know we're doing _The Color Purple_ for the project, right?"

"I have no idea what that is, but you're the literature geek here, so I'll trust what you say."

He kicked his foot out to tap him in the chest playfully and laughed.

"You're no less geek that I am and you know it. You still wear those stupid long jackets?"

"Hey, my jacket is way better than whatever you're wearing, where did you find those overalls? The trash?"

"Listen, I rock back in Chicago right now. It's not my fault you're a pasty white boy with no class."

JD rolled his eyes, tried to respond, but was cut off by the bell. The rest of the class got up and rushed the door, but JD watched as Acosmist's smile slowly fell and he put his feet back on the floor.

"Well, you probably want to-"

"Hey, I'll walk you outside. You said your aunt picks you up?"

He immediately perked up and nodded, and got his stuff together as JD did the same.

They stood and Acosmist reached for JD's arm, carefully looping his own through it so that he didn't have to use his cane. JD just stared up at him.

The last time he had seen him, they were fourteen and Acosmist was a foot shorter than him. He had teased him mercilessly for it, but now he had a good three inches on him. He also had a chiseled jaw like a fucking god, and arm muscles that could probably snap his neck without trying.

_Fuck puberty._

"So your dad still in business? Or did he come out here to retire?"

"It's more like laying low for a bit. Not much to destroy out here, but one bad job can seriously hurt your business. You blow up one scrawny CEO, man..."

Acosmist laughed loudly as they wandered into the hall, making several people give them weird looks.

Whether it was the oddness of seeing the two new kids so chummy, or the angry glares JD sent anyone who got to close, the student body parted for them as they walked through the halls. If Acosmist noticed the lack of getting bumped into, he didn't say anything.

JD walked them out to the tree his bike was parked under, and moved them around so they could lean against the black motorcycle. Acosmist furrowed his brows as he touched the seat, trying to figure out just what he was touching. JD watched bemusedly.

"Dude, what is this?" His hands brushed the handlebars and he jolted back. "A motorcycle? Did you steal this?"

"What?" JD laughed, "no, it's a perk from dad's company... Is your go to response really thinking that I stole it?"

"Absolutely! Wasn't it you who got me to steal everything from lighters to chemicals for bombs, back in Chicago? I would bet real money that I don't have, that you stole this bike, piece by piece."

"I'll have you know my shoplifting days are over. My dad gives me access to his TNT now."

Acosmist laughed and moved his hand up JD's arm until he had it wrapped around his shoulders, then he pulled him forward and down so he could muss up his hair.

"JD?"

Acosmist moved his head towards the new voice, still smiling wildly. JD struggled out of the friendly headlock and stepped forward.

"Veronica! What brings you over to our neck of the woods?"

"Awe, JD, do you have a girlfriend now?" Acosmist laughed, just a little jealous of the way JD suddenly ditched him in favor of this "Veronica."

"Certainly!"

"No."

"Oh come on, Veronica, I'm sorry about that bitch Heather, but even you have to admit the school is a better place without her."

"Oh? You kill somebody or something?" Acosmist took a few steps forward and JD quickly held his arm to get him closer to the conversation.

"Made the most popular girl in school drink some drain-o, no big deal."

Veronica made a sound similar to a dying cat.

"Sounds fun. I set my house on fire with my parents locked inside."

"Seriously?!" JD patted him on the back "you finally snapped?"

"Um." Veronica spoke up. "I'm gonna take a long shot here and say you two... know each other?"

"JD lived in Chicago for six months when we were fourteen. Would you say we were best friends, or more than that, JD?"

"Oh, it was more. Unless you have a very open idea of what friends do together."

"Alright... well, oh! There's Mac and Duke, I better get going."

"Veronica, wait-" JD sighed as the sound of her steps faded across the parking lot. "God damnit!"

"She sounds like a real show stopper, Jasey."

"You'd know if you could fucking see, she's the most beautiful girl I've seen."

"Maybe, but you know I'm more into guys either way. And she doesn't seem to share your interests."

"A price to pay for love, Aco."

He shrugged nonchalantly and heard the distinct sound of his Aunt's car horn not far away.

"Your aunt have a pink mustang?" JD asked.

"That's what she tells me. Though I have no idea what it means. A car is a car."

"Want me to walk you over?"

"Nah, I'm good." He got out his cane, grabbed JD's head, pressed a quick kiss to what he thought may have been his temple, and made his way to his aunt's car.

Aunt Misty was giggling at him when he sat down.

"So I see someone took pity on ya?"

"Actually, he's a friend from Chicago I haven't seen in three years."

"Sweetie, I hate to break it to ya..."

He groaned before she could even finish the thought.

" _You have never seen him._ "

"You know what I mean, Misty." He snapped, but even so, as he rested his head on the seat behind him, he was smiling.

* * *

JD was frozen on the spot for a minute as he watched Acosmist climb into the pink car. He slowly reached up to touch the place near his eye where the kiss had landed, and he grinned as Acosmist's aunt waved to him as they left.

He stayed still for a moment before snapping out of his trance and climbing onto his bike to ride home.

As he sped down the road, he let out a loud "whoop" of excitement. Now, he not only had Veronica, but also his favorite partner in crime in one place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im hoping chapters after this will be considerably longer, but that also means itll take longer to update them. chapter 3 is partially written, but there's a lot i wanna put into it


	3. Flashbang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some flashbacks, some angry stuff, some kissing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen,,, i love these boys so much, they are stupid
> 
> (although posting this was delayed cause i had to finish a huge art final and discovered Dear Evan Hansen and now i'm just perpetually crying)

_November, 1985, Chicago-_

_JD had been several places by now, and he was tired. His mother passing was rough on him and his dad, for different reasons. His dad's response was to run, but there wasn't anything to run from. So now they lived on the run from a past his dad couldn't escape from, and JD had to go along for the ride. He was tired and just wanted to rest for a while. But there's only so many buildings you can blow up in one town, right?_

_He shifted his old backpack as he wandered home after his first day at this new school. It was windy and he hated it. He already almost lost his hat to the wind, and he just wanted to go home and go to bed._

_He stared at the ground as he walked, but he stopped when his foot came in contact with a long red and white cane - one used by blind people._

_He looked up to see a young black kid face down on the pavement, struggling to get up. JD debated on helping. On one hand, he would be helping some poor blind kid. On the other, his bed sounded really good right then._

_"Fuck." The kid muttered as he got to his hands and knees._

_JD figured he could at least ask._

_"Do you need help?"_

_The kid turned in his direction with an expression like an angry, cornered dog. It would have been more threatening though, if he weren't wearing huge blocky shades that looked more in place in a cartoon._

_"Fuck off! I'm blind, not helpless! Is that all you see in a blind person? Someone to be helped?"_

_"Woah, no, you were just face down on the ground... and your nose is bleeding."_

_As he watched, a heavy stream of blood gushed from the kids nose and he just held his sleeve to it._

_"So? Maybe it just does that!"_

_JD couldn't help but laugh at that._

_"Stop laughing at me! I'm blind not deaf!"_

_"Sorry, but maybe your nose just bleeds sometimes?"_

_The kid paused, thought about what he had said, then started laughing as well._

_"Does your nose hurt?"_

_"Naw, I just hit it a little too hard, but I caught myself mostly on my hands." He held out his hand that wasn't getting nose blood on it to show the slight road burn on his palm. "Feels like it's not bleeding so much anymore either." He pulled his sleeve away from his now bloody face, bringing a long string of blood with it._

_"Gross." JD murmured._

_"Really? Good thing I can't see, huh?"_

_JD laughed softly._

_"Hey, is my cane around here? I dropped it."_

_JD quickly knelt down and grabbed it, and held it out to the kid until it poked him in the shoulder. He jumped at the sudden touch and grinned._

_"Thanks, most people try to guide my hand to it. It's fucking annoying."_

_"Yeah, well you're covered in blood. I don't want to touch that."_

_They both laughed, but stopped when a car screeched to a stop beside them and a frantic woman leapt out of it._

_"Justice! You were supposed to wait for us to pick you up from school! You know this! Oh god, what happened? See? Well, no you don't... but this is what happens when you go off by yourself! Oh, Jesus, you almost gave us a heart attack!"_

_Justice frowned in JD's direction and he could see exactly why he didn't want to wait for her to pick him up. She turned to JD after she rushed Justice into the backseat and sighed._

_"I'm so sorry about him, could you tell me what happened?"_

_"Well I think he knows better than me, but I'm pretty sure he just tripped and hit his nose."_

_"Oh thank god... what's your name, son?"_

_"Jason Dean."_

_She looked at him, tipping her head to the side slightly, and seemed to be thinking hard._

_"Here, in thanks for your help, my phone number. Give it to your parents so we can arrange for me to take you to school one of these days."_

_"But I-"_

_"You do go to the school just down the street, right?"_

_"Yeah, but-"_

_"Then it's no problem! Justice goes there, so it's fine with me!"_

_She shoved a paper with a phone number into his hand, then jumped into the car and sped off._

_JD stared at the number and wondered how off that woman had to be to trust her phone number with a strange kid she had only just met._

* * *

_Present-_

Lunch came right after science for Acosmist, and whatever the teacher had made the class look at had left the rest of the class too sick to their stomachs to even think about eating. His first two days, someone from the class had walked with him to the cafeteria, but this time he was alone in the search for food.

That is, until someone stopped him in the halls.

"Hey... you're the new kid, right?"

Acosmist turned to the voice and quirked an eyebrow at what sounded like a very spaced out girl.

"How many black blind kids do ya have here?"

She breathed a laugh and continued on, barely missing a beat.

"I love your style dude... you wanna hang with my friends out front?"

"You got food?"

"And the like."

He shrugged and reached for her shoulder, but she took his hand instead and walked him out of the school, hand in hand. The group of students that the girl took him to cheered when they approached.

"I haven't had this good of a reception since the first time I got a B in math, damn." He joked. The area they were in reeked of weed and cigarette smoke.

"Where'd you get your look man?" One kid asked as they handed him what he assumed was a joint. He brought it close enough to his face to smell it, and when it checked out, he brought it to his lips and took a drag before replying.

"What am I wearing?"

This made several people laugh, and he rolled his eyes behind his shades.

"It's just so colorful man! If you spun around you'd look like a flower garden or some shit!"

"Is that so? I've never seen a damn thing, so I go by texture, not sight."

This seemed to appease the group, and they passed him a bag of chips after he took another drag and passed the joint to the next person.

The conversation trailed off into something else, and Acosmist leaned against a truck. He assumed they were in the parking lot, but wouldn't put it past a bunch of stoners to drive onto a sports field.

"So where are you from, dude?"

"Huh?" He asked, dazed, and the group laughed.

"Oh, uh, Chicago, Illinois."

"Damn! Big city boy here!" One person jeered. "What's it like?"

"I dunno, I couldn't see it. Crowded?"

"Acosmist!" He turned at the sound of JD's voice cutting through the parking lot. A few of the stoners around him grumbled at the interruption.

"Yeah?" He called back, and now he could hear his feet pounding against concrete.

"Thought you'd be in the cafeteria. What are you doing out here with..." he trailed off, probably taking in the group.

Someone tapped his arm, he reached to them, and they passed their joint off to him. He turned to JD once more with the joint between his lips and a quirk in his eyebrows.

JD chuckled.

"I see you made some friends."

Acosmist handed the joint off to who knows where and blew the smoke in the direction of JD's face. He hoped it hit.

"Need something, dude?"

"Not particularly, Veronica's avoiding me again, and I figured since you're here..."

"Ah, yeah, your second choice." He leaned back against the truck, and he felt JD settle beside him.

"Again, if you could see..."

"Are you talkin' about Veronica Sawyer?" One person in the group asked suddenly, "Dude you're _sooo_ unlucky that you can't see, she and the Heathers are smokin'. I wish I could get in on that."

"That's... nice." Acosmist said. "JD, again. You know what I like. Do I gotta spell it out every time? It's great you got yourself a girl, but don't expect me to jump on that shit either."

JD's arm slipped around his waist and pulled him against his side.

"I know, I just miss her. Anyways. You got that book for English?"

"I've got a copy for you, yeah. Don't fuck it up though, it's my uncle's copy."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I know how you are about books."

* * *

_November, 1985, Chicago-_

_JD sat awkwardly in the backseat of the cramped car next to Justice. His dad had jumped at the idea of not taking him to school, and had happily called Justice's mom when he got home._

_Justice ignored him in favor of reading a book with his fingers. JD watched curiously; he had never actually seen a blind person read before._

_"You can stop staring."_

_"Huh?"_

_"There's a certain brand of silence where someone is staring at me. Either make conversation or fuck off. Life's too short to give a shit about what people think."_

_"Who taught you that?" He asked in surprise, not that he disagreed, but it was surprising to hear from someone else._

_"Learned that shit on my own. Nothing matters, the point of life is to die."_

_JD looked away and sighed, as thoughts of his mother forced their way into his head. From the corner of his eye, he saw Justice pause and tilt his head._

_"Huh." He said, "that's not the usual response."_

_"Well I'm not exactly disagreeing with you."_

_His eyebrows shot so far up JD could see them over his comical shades._

_"Why not?"_

_"My family is fucked up."_

_Justice nodded. "Fair enough."_

_"Are you two getting along back there?" Justice's mom asked from the front seat. Justice didn't respond, and JD shrugged, but he could see Justice smiling._

_"Well we're coming up on the school. JD, can you help Justice to his class? I usually do it, but since you're friends now..."_

_JD looked over at Justice, who was frowning deeply. He turned back to her._

_"Ok." Appeased, she turned the radio back on and JD leaned over to Justice._

_"I'll only walk with you until she's gone, if you want."_

_He breathed a sigh of relief._

_"God you're a saint, I think."_

_"No problem, Blind Justice."_

_"Please don't... my parents say that enough, I don't need it from you either..."_

_"Would you prefer existentialist?"_

_"I mean, sure, but that's not what I am." Justice closed his Braille book and turned more in JD's direction as the car slowed to a stop._

_"Are you sure about that?"_

_"I don't believe anything really exists, and that nothing we do in life matters because of it. If there is a god, we're just a book he's writing, and nothing we do is real. I'm not gonna pray to a god who wrote me blind. I'm an Acosmist."_

_"Damn dude." JD chuckled. "Then I'll call you that instead." He put his backpack on and opened the car door, and left it open for him to slide out. "You wanna hang out at lunch?"_

_Acosmist stared in his direction, waiting for some sort of punchline, but as he slowly made his way out of the car, JD didn't laugh at him. He got his cane out and stood next to JD, but was met by an expectant silence._

_"Really? Jason, are you sure?"_

_"Hey, if I gave you a sick nickname, you gotta call me JD. It's only fair."_

_"JD..." he muttered as they started walking towards the school. Suddenly, Acosmist wasn't so keen on letting this new kid run off as soon as his mom left. "alright, I'll bite. Where do you wanna meet?"_

_"How about the front steps? That's pretty easy to get to and remember... hey, your mom is gone. Want me to bolt?"_

_"Whatever works for you. As long as you don't try to help me up the stairs."_

_"I can't promise anything, you look like you'd need climbing equipment just to scale the stairs. You're so tiny."_

_"What? Sorry, apparently I'm too close to the ground. I couldn't hear what you just said."_

_JD laughed loudly, and he chuckled back._

_Maybe this year wouldn't be quite so aggravating._

* * *

_Present-_

"Hey, uh, school's off for Heather Chandler's funeral tomorrow, you wanna come?" JD asked as he watched Acosmist read from his Braille copy of The Color Purple. He paused his hands as he frowned.

"I don't know her, why would I?"

JD scratched the back of his head nervously as he looked down at the print copy of the same book Acosmist had given him at lunch.

"Well, I, uh, figured we could grab some slushies afterwards? Make some ill timed jokes at the corpse's expense?"

Acosmist snorted. "I'll need help choosing an all black outfit. Unless you want me to dress myself for this?"

"That might get you kicked out of town, she was pretty popular."

"You wanna come by tonight? I can tell you the plot of the book you clearly aren't reading. I've read it five times."

"Ah, yeah... I can see it's a good book, I'm just a little... distracted right now."

"Mhmm..." Acosmist continued reading, unaware of how JD was watching him from across the desk.  He had gotten better at not being obvious about his staring over the course of the six months they had known each other, since he certainly did a lot of it.

If Veronica was the prettiest girl he knew, Acosmist was the prettiest guy, even after three years. Especially after three years. Terrible fashion aside, the sides of his head were completely shaved, while the hair on the top of his head swooped forward then lay mostly flat against his forehead. His shoulders were broad and his hands - fuck his hands were big and calloused, but from what, JD had no idea. He let out a shaky breath as he thought about all those things his hands could do, and he sighed when his lips curved up at something he read.

He jumped when Acosmist's foot rubbed against his leg and he whispered across the table,

"Quiet down, unless you want to start moaning in the middle of class?"

JD whipped his head down to stare at the book on his desk. His face burned, but he hid it well, even as Acosmist continued to play footsie under the desk.

He would get him back for that somehow.

* * *

"Hold on, do you want me to take you to your house? Is your aunt picking you up?" JD asked as the end of the day neared.

Acosmist tilted his head with a frown.

"I didn't think of that... hold on."

He raised his hand, and again the teacher was quickly at his side, giving JD just a bit of a side glare.

"Yes, Justice?"

"Sorry, I was just wondering if I could go to the office to call my aunt? I want to work on the project with JD after school and I'll have to tell her not to come pick me up."

She thought for a moment, finger tapping against her chin, then took another glance at JD before responding.

"It might be a long wait, why don't you have JD take you to the office so you don't get lost and you can keep working on the project together while you wait?"

Acosmist grinned and nodded.

"Thanks ma'am."

The woman went to her desk to write them a pass, and they both smiled as they packed their stuff away. A few other groups glared at them as they got up to leave, and JD laughed at the blatant jealousy on their faces.

"You've really taken to stretching the bounds of your blindness, haven't you?"

"Better use of a disability than sitting around doing all the same stuff able-bodied folks do."

"Do people really think you're going to get lost?"

"You met my mom, didn't you?"

"Your mom was something different. And you're, what, seventeen now?"

"Turned Eighteen a week ago. August 20th." He said, running a hand through his hair. JD stopped in his tracks, pulling him to a stop as well.

"JD?"

"I always forgot you were older than me, you were so short."

Acosmist leaned over and rubbed his forehead against JD's head.

"And now you're the itty bitty one, aren't you?"

"I'm not that small." He chuckled, gently pushing him away as they reached the office. The secretary gave them an odd look as they approached.

"I need to use the phone?" Acosmist asked when his hands hit the edge of the desk.

"Take off your sunglasses while indoors, young man. Why do you need the phone?" The woman behind the desk said.

He grimaced, JD scowled, and the woman made no move to do anything until he removed his shades. Acosmist reached up and plucked them off of his face and threw them down on the desk, and the secretary squeaked in surprise.

"I need to tell my aunt that I have a ride home today and that she doesn't have to come pick me up, _ma'am_." He spat. She stared at his milky white eyes in shock. "You know, because I'm _blind_ , and can't drive myself."

"I-I'm sorry, here, you can have your sunglasses back..." she muttered, sliding his shades back to him, and JD picked them up with a hard glare to her.

"Oh, no, I want to play by the school rules, ma'am. Should I turn in my cane too? It could be a _weapon_."

"Th-that's completely unnecessary. I apologize, sir. I-I-I'll get you access to the phone in just a moment." She hurried off to a back room, and Acosmist huffed angrily, and punched the desk hard enough to send a mug of pencils off the desk. JD put a hand on his back and lead him over to some waiting chairs in the corner.

Acosmist gripped the arms of the the cushioned chair and JD decided against handing his shades over. In this state, he'd probably crush them. Instead, he grabbed his arm, pulled the sleeve of his jacket up, and traced the ugly, swirling pattern of the chairs directly onto his skin.

As he did it over and over again, Acosmist slowly relaxed, as he focused on the design instead of the the earlier interaction. His eyes softened and his shoulders slumped as he released a long breath.

"What is that?"

"The chair you're sitting on. It's hideous."

"Color?"

"Like the sour taste in your mouth when you puke after too much whiskey."

Acosmist closed his eyes and slumped down into the chair more. JD didn't let up on tracing the design until he shook him off and covered his face with both hands, letting out a low groan.

"You alright?"

"Um! You can use the phone now!" The woman came back suddenly, and they both jumped at the interruption. Acosmist got up, and JD knew better than try to help him when he was still angry. The secretary didn't.

When he walked towards where she stood at the doorway of the back office, cane in hand, she grabbed his arm to lead him into the office. Immediately, he flung his arm out to throw her off and gritted his teeth.

"Don't _touch_ me. Don't " _help_ " me. Get away from me or I'll report you."

She backed up nearly halfway across the room and JD smirked at her horrified expression.

"I'd apologize for him, but really you should be the one apologizing." JD slowly shook his head at her as he closed the door to the office behind them.

He turned to see Acosmist with the receiver to his ear already.

"Hey Aunt Misty. No, I'm not in trouble. Yes, I'm fine..." he snorted and covered his mouth to hide the broad grin that spread across his face. "No, no not that either. You just don't have to pick me up today. JD is gonna take me back... yeah school project, and I guess there's a funeral tomorrow?" He trailed off for a moment and cracked the knuckles on one hand, one by one. "Yeah, that one. Uh... hold on."

He covered the receiver and stood up straight.

"JD?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna spend the night? Aunt Misty is making pot roast tonight."

Compared to his usual pasta and slushie, a real balanced dinner sounded like heaven.

"Sure."

He put the phone back to his ear, "yeah he'll stay... unfortunately he's already seen all my baby photos, Misty. Your sister was weird as hell."

He turned to JD, and flashed a bright smile and a thumbs up. His eyes were fully forward though, staring straight passed him. While JD was used to it, he could understand why he preferred the shades. Especially in a place like this. The headaches he got from bright light were a good reason as well.

"Thanks Aunt Misty. See you later."

He hung up and stood straighter.

"If you were anyone else I would ask if you needed to call your dad. But I'm gonna assume he just doesn't care."

"Yeah, he's not all there anymore, but he has his moments. There's ten minutes left of class, you wanna go back or just go hang out by my bike?"

"Who do you take me for?"

JD laughed and opened the door for them both, and they left without paying the secretary any mind.

* * *

"You got my shades?"

"Are you going to crush them in one of your big meaty hands?" JD held the shades just out of Acosmist's reach, but he didn't know that.

"Funny. The sun is frying my brain as we speak and I really don't want a migraine right now."

They were sitting beneath the tree that JD parked near, and even in the shade, the bright sunlight made Acosmist's eyes burn. Had handed him his shades and he put them on quickly.

"Are you ok?"

He sighed. "Better. Not ok. I hate people. Nothing matters in life, who cares if you or I wear shades inside?"

"I say we just grow up, be adults, and die."

Acosmist snorted but nodded.

"Where'd you get that from?"

"Veronica."

"Really?" He said, surprised. "So she is on the same track as us. Huh."

"Told you she was great."

"Uh-huh. And she's already committed her first murder?"

"Well I helped. Did you really set your house on fire?"

"Yup. You got a cig?"

JD pulled his pack out and took out two smokes, handing him one and putting the other in his mouth before grabbing his lighter. Acosmist put the cigarette between his lips, held onto the tip, and when JD passed the lighter, he carefully moved it to the tip as he moved his fingers away.

He tossed the lighter back at JD and took a long drag, then blew the smoke out his nose.

"You know my parents. Fucking psychos. They only got worse, you know. As soon as I started hanging with the neighborhood kids after you left, they were convinced I was in the drug cartel. We were just playin' around with records and shit. We weren't Harlem, but we were havin' fun."

He took another drag, and leaned forward so his arms rested on his knees.

"They basically put me on house arrest, and you know I can't sneak out like a white kid could. Mom fuckin' knows if I _sneeze_ in the middle of the night. She didn't know I was making my friends store bits and pieces of my stuff at their houses, though. On my birthday, I was allowed out of the house for shit besides school, and I left the gas on the stove and fireplace on before I left the house. Matches and sandpaper on the underside of the doors is what did them in, really. You know how dad loved to slam his presence into a room."

JD laughed. "They fucking deserved it."

"Hell yeah. And now I get to live with the chill aunt who helped me when I wanted to die when I was twelve. It's a win all around."

"It's that aunt?" JD asked, surprised. He had heard stories about his Aunt Misty, and even took the advice she had given Acosmist. But he didn't think it would be the same woman now.

"The one and only. She's excited to meet you."

The bell rang, and a flood of students surged out of the doors. JD put his cigarette out on the ground and stood as his friend did the same. He was about to get onto the bike, when he realized Kurt, Ram, and some other letterman jacket-wearing kid were heading their way. He groaned.

"What's up?" Acosmist asked as he shook himself off. 

"Asshole alert. It's a shame I can't run over them in front of everyone."

"Let me do it, just point the bike in the direction and let me go."

JD laughed loudly, and the jocks picked up their pace.

"Hey fags!" The odd jock out shouted. Kurt hushed him and shook his head.

"Grow up dude, they haven't done anything."

JD raised his eyebrow and Acosmist leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Assholes?"

Ram stepped forward.

"Just wait."

"So are you guys fucking or what? You look really fucking gay."

"Sorry," Acosmist spoke up, making JD worry both for him, and about what he was going to say. "I haven't met you yet. I go by Acosmist. And you?" He held out an expectant hand and the jocks looked at each other.

"I'm Kurt." Kurt said, taking hold of his hand.

Acosmist pulled him forward, making everyone on-edge, but he only gave Kurt a strange hug while their hands were still clasped between them. Kurt laughed nervously.

"Oh, sorry. That's how we greet people in my gang back in Chicago."

The jock's eyes widened, and JD stifled a laugh while Kurt back away. The unknown jock came forward, introduced himself as Kevin, and enthusiastically took part in the hug handshake.

"And the last guy?" Acosmist asked with a smile, and Ram came forward after looking back at Kurt in confusion. Clearly he wasn't expecting a friendly response. He seemed out of his element.

"Ram."

Acosmist gripped his hand firmly, and pulled him forward just like with the other two. But he tangled his hand into his hair when he went for the hug, and quickly yanked his head back, at a perfect angle for him to smash a messy kiss straight to his lips.

Kurt and Kevin nearly screamed, and Acosmist held Ram in place for a few moments before releasing him and laughing loudly. JD was too far gone to care that he was red in the face from laughing. The Jocks stumbled backwards then bolted for their cars, and JD started up his motorcycle. He reached over and pulled Acosmist behind him as he tried to stop laughing.

"I can't believe- _holy shit dude!_ You told them you were in a gang and... you fucking..."

Acosmist wrapped his arms tightly around JD and smirked as he rested his chin on his shoulder.

"What? I gave him an answer, now he knows I'm gay." He moved his head so that his nose rubbed the back of JD's neck, making him shiver. He turned around and put his helmet on Acosmist before he could protest, cutting off his ability to nuzzle his neck.

"Don't distract the driver, you're gonna get us killed."

"I'll drive then. I need to do something to get jock taste out of my mouth."

JD laughed again as he steered out of the parking lot. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you stuck your tongue down Ram Sweeney's throat!"

"I will never think a day in my life, Jasey, you know this!" He shouted over the sound of the bike engine and wind. "Now head on over to Cedar Pines Avenue, that's where my aunt's house is!"

"Why didn't you tell me that before?!" He shouted, and making a quick u-turn, and Acosmist gripped his waist tightly to keep from falling off.

"Suffer, Jasey! I have no idea where we are!"

Acosmist settled easily with his body flush against JD's, and he took a deep breath in, nose filling with JD's scent from inside the helmet. He sighed as a warmth he hadn't known for years enveloped him once again. It was a little different after three years, but JD was still all long jackets, gunpowder, and dark laughs.

It only solidified his notion that setting his parents ablaze was the best decision of his life.


	4. Cherry, Blue Raspberry, and Cola, All in One Cup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleepover, a funeral, and maybe a little arson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK FROM THE INTERNSHIP!!!  
> and I'm starting school again in a few days, so i dont know how much writing i'll do these first few weeks. Art history is apparently a really hard class :(c
> 
> To make up for that, though, here's a long chapter with Acosmist being rowdy and a couple of fun flashbacks ;)c
> 
> also, I haven't read The Color Purple, but I've read a short summary and listened to the musical more times than i can count. it's so. fucking. good!! I highly recommend it if you like black women learning to love each other instead of the abusive men in their lives

"So her dad knocked her up at fourteen then forced her to give up the baby?"

"Twice."

JD stared down at the book in his hands.

"Jesus Christ."

"Yeup." Acosmist said, his fingers flying across his Braille as if he already knew what it all said. He probably did.

"You know we're in a white Christian town, right?"

"Yeah?"

"They aren't going to like hearing a book about black people's problems, we're gonna get suspended."

"That's their fault."

JD chuckled and continued to read where he left off.

They were sprawled across Acosmist's bed, reading the Color Purple at Acosmist's insistence, and had been for a while now. He clearly loved the book, the wear on his version visible. Though, JD was surprised his parents had let him read it so young. Still, he was enraptured with it.

"Hey boys," aunt Misty peeked her head into the room with a smile. "You guys want some food? It'll be ready in ten."

JD looked up at her and nodded, while Acosmist waved dismissively. She hummed and shut the door behind her, and Acosmist grabbed JD's thigh to get his attention.

"She's lying, JD, she always says it's ten minutes, then when you come down in ten, there's fifteen minutes left and she makes you set the table."

"That's called hell, Aco."

"I know." He whispered with a smile.

He pressed a quick kiss to JD's thigh before turning over to his back and sighing. His book was left open, balanced precariously on the edge of his bed.

JD marked the paged he was on, closed the book, and laid out next to him to take in the room.

It was dark, though not in the way he had decorated his. This dark served an actual purpose beyond aesthetics. The window was adorned with heavy purple curtains that blocked the worst of the direct sunlight from coming in, and all three of the lights in the room were covered in shades that kept the light low enough for Acosmist to take off his shades comfortably.

While Acosmist (from what JD understood from three years ago) could see some semblance of shadows and movement in bright light, it gave his sensitive eyes far too much stimulation and usually ended up with him getting a migraine.

But in his room, he was comfortable as he laid back against his white and grey bedspread. JD sat up against his elbows to watch as he closed his eyes and smiled. He couldn't tear his gaze from him, this person he treasured most of his freshman year of high school, who made his move from Chicago so much harder, who-

He caught himself as he leaned down. He could tell Acosmist knew he was there, inches from his face, from the way his mouth twitched up as his breath ghosted over his face. Neither of them said anything, but just as Acosmist started leaning up, JD remembered a flash of blue and long brown hair; climbing in through his window, taking not his virginity, but his heart.

Acosmist's eyes were closed, yes, but JD could still see the disappointment in them when he pulled back quickly and backed off of the bed.

"JD?" Acosmist sat up with a frown. "Where are you-"

"Just gotta pee, it's cool."

Acosmist's mouth twitched into a grin, but the rest of his expression did not follow. JD hesitated as he stared at him, then pulled himself from the room to go calm down in the bathroom.

* * *

**Chicago, December 1985-**

After being basically forced to be friends by Acosmist's mother for a week and a half, the boys found themselves actually enjoying each other's company. It was rocky at first, as JD struggled to learn how to have a blind friend (or friend in general. He hadn't had one in so long.) but after a week, he was pretty sure that as long as he didn't act like Acosmist's mom, he would be in the clear.

His mom was... overbearing. Besides the fact that she bragged about having had a list of decent names for Acosmist before he was born, but threw it out to name him Justice when she found out he was born blind, she clearly had no idea that how she treated him was just so wrong.

When she wanted him to go somewhere, she would pull on his arms, push his back, guide his cane. He even proved to her on multiple occasions that he could walk, talk and interact normally, but she just ignored it. His dad was no better, as he seemed to think that blindness was equal to a brain tumor, and would explain every task to him as if he were five years old.

The first time JD visited his house, Acosmist was appalled at having to show someone how he was treated, and they spent the whole time in his room because neither of them wanted to face the couple.

After a few failed attempts at putting up with his mother, they agreed that JD's house would be better.

There wasn't much to be said about his house in Chicago, neither he nor his dad had much besides the clothes on their backs. So the house was bare, save the furniture that came with it.

It was a good thing Acosmist couldn't see, cause he took the lack of clutter as a sign of them being more well off than they really were.

* * *

"You live here?" Acosmist asked as they walked into the living room of the small house. He swept his cane from side to side and seemed surprised to not hit anything.

"Yeah. Not really settled though. We keep stuff packed usually."

"It must be so cool to go so many places." Acosmist said with a smile. "Kinda freeing, right?"

"I guess..." JD kicked at the floor. "Could be better."

"Do you know when you'll leave here?"

"Jason? Is that you?" His dad called from his room, and Acosmist fell silent.

"Yeah, dad!" He yelled back, "I brought a friend!"

"A friend you say?"

He emerged from his room, wiping his hands on a towel as he took the boys in, eyebrows raised.

"Is this who you get rides from?"

"Yeah."

"Justice, right? Like-"

"Don't." Acosmist growled through gritted teeth. Bud only chuckled.

"What a couple of morons your parents must be."

"E-excuse me?"

JD smiled as Acosmist fumbled with his cane in shock. If there was one good thing about his dad, it was how he wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Though it did get them into a lot of trouble, he appreciated it right now.

"Naming a blind kid Justice. Don't name your kid as a set up for a joke." He mumbled as he inspected his nails. "You boys need food? I can run down to the corner store and grab some chips."

JD nudged Acosmist expectantly and he shook himself out of the wide grin that had formed on his face.

"I'm not allowed to have junk food, Mr. Dean, my mom worries it'll make my health worse."

Bud seemed to choke on air.

"What? Ya got pneumonia or something? Jesus, son, every kid needs a bad snack at the end of school. I'll be back."

He grabbed his jacket and wallet, and stormed out of the house, leaving Acosmist in shock and JD amused.

"Dude, your dad is... amazing."

"Don't ditch me for my dad, dude."

"Honestly I can't promise anything."

They laughed, and JD led the way up to his room, where they stayed until his dad came back with sodas and junk food. They sat on the couch and watched tv as they ate, and neither JD or Bud made a big deal of needing to explain the shows to Acosmist.

It was so different from his life at home, for once in his life he didn't feel broken. For once in his life, he had people who could see past his blindness.

* * *

**Present**

JD left the bathroom and came face to face with Acosmist's uncle Joshua. He was an odd man, about his height, with two-toned eyes, and cornrowed hair. He smiled at him with the kind of smile someone gives you when they don't trust you, but don't want to hurt your feelings.

"You and Acosmist getting along?"

"Yes sir, it's nice to see him again after three years."

"Small world, ain't it?" Now he gave a real smile, and JD relaxed just a bit more. "He's already down at the table, I was told to get ya. For dinner. Yeah."

When they had shown up at the house, Joshua hadn't even looked up from the book he was reading. It seemed he didn't enjoy talking, much less eye contact. His eyes darted about, and when they didn't, his gaze was firmly over JD's shoulder.

He nodded, smiled, and followed him down to the kitchen.

* * *

Dinner was the best JD had had in months, maybe even a year. Misty and Joshua talked to him like they were actually invested in his life, unlike the unfeeling "what did you do today"'s that his father threw at him every so often.

They laughed at his jabs at the school system, and frowned in understanding when he said Veronica was avoiding him (though he didn't exactly say why she was in the first place). At one point, Joshua reached over and patted his hand gently with a smile.

"There's always room for you here, JD. We always wanted to meet the kid who got Acosmist out of his shell and gave him a far better name than Justice. I always thought it was a shame that you had to leave town before we got to come visit."

JD had smiled back, for once not a smirk, like he gave to so many other adults. In that moment, Joshua looked at JD with the same tenderness that his mother had given him as she waved out of that fucking building, and it took his full concentration to not break down at the table.

But now, in the darkness of Acosmist's bedroom as his friend clung to him in his sleep, he stared up at the ceiling and sniffed.

It was probably three in the morning, and he was thankful that the funeral wasn't until the afternoon. Acosmist mumbled in his sleep, and clung tighter to him. His head was resting on his chest, and their legs were tangled together.

They had gotten over awkward sleepovers a month or so into their friendship, because it was far funner to just cuddle each other than it was to worry about touching. The position they were in was a mirror of how their other sleepovers looked, though it was laughable now that Acosmist was the taller of the two. He was curled up tight to hold onto as much of JD as he could.

JD ran his hands through Acosmist's hair slowly as tears tracked their way down his cheeks.

Acosmist didn't sleep with a shirt on. JD had seen, while they were getting ready for bed, that he had a tattoo on his left shoulder. It was some sort of design he didn't understand, and the outer edge of it was scarred enough to raise the skin. When he asked about it, Acosmist only smiled and ran his fingers over it.

"My buddies in Chicago. Since I couldn't see it, they scarred the outline so I could feel it." He had said. "Not the right move, cause it got really infected and probably fucked with the design, but the scars still feel right."

JD let his fingers fall from his hair to those scars, and sighed. Even after all these years, Acosmist hadn't forgotten about him. He still wore that stupid ring from the arcade, even as he slept - it was actually digging painfully into the side of his ribcage at the moment - and he had talked to his family about him in such high regards that they welcomed him with open arms without a second thought.

He's done so much wrong in his life, he is still doing so much wrong, if the situation with Veronica proved anything, but none of that mattered right now. Not when he knew he would wake up with Acosmist draped across him, still holding tightly.

For once in his life, he was properly  _home_.

* * *

"You cannot be kidding me."

Acosmist sprawled across his bed and laughed at JD's sudden horrified proclamation.

"Is it really that bad?"

"Aco, I'm doing my best, but it will take a miracle for us to not be kicked out of the funeral. How do you only own _three_ black clothes?"

JD was shuffling through Acosmist's closet, pulling out anything that was dark enough to be considered appropriate for a funeral. The pile was dismally small.

"Well it's not like I choose by color, you know."

"It seems statistically impossible for you to own more neon than black." He raised his eyebrows at a black dress at the back of the closet, but ignored it. It must have been Misty's and just got mixed up with Acosmist's laundry.

"Maybe neon is more comfortable than black. Aren't I already black enough?"

"That's different." JD laughed, and Acosmist sat up with a shrug, and JD stared at what he had found. A leather jacket, parachute pants, and a bunch of mesh that Acosmist assured him was a shirt. He sighed, and Acosmist wandered over to him.

"Why do you like black so much? I mean, besides the obvious reason of me." He asked. He never made the effort to put a shirt on that morning, and held out an expecting hand.

"It's a good, solid color."

"Shirt me." He said, then scratched his cheek. "But how does it feel to you?"

JD handed him the mesh, and he grinned as he ran it through his fingers before pulling it over his head.

JD immediately decided that whoever decided to make a mesh shirt should get a raise. He also knew that they were going to need that leather jacket.

Acosmist took off his pants as JD finally responded.

"It's warm. Most people don't think it is, but it holds onto the sunlight and keeps you warm. It lets you hide away in the dark corners, to not be seen. It has always protected me." He handed Acosmist the ridiculous pants, and when those were on, he handed off the jacket. "I've always liked it. The opposite of the explosions my dad makes."

"Yeah, but how does it feel to you?"

JD looked at his own jacket, then at Acosmist slipping into a pair of black loafers his uncle leant him. He stood at his full height, and JD's mouth went dry.

"JD?"

"I'm here." He swallowed. "I just... hold on." He reached up and adjusted Acosmist's collar.

"Black is... it's... comfort. It engulfs you like..." he stepped forward and rested his hands on Acosmist's waist. "But it's also dangerous. Warns people to back off. Leave you alone, so it's..." his thumbs traced circles into the mesh-covered skin, and slowly looked up. His nose brushed his chin, which made Acosmist move his head down to meet him.

"It's finding your old arsonist friend in a back alley and not knowing if he's there to fuck you, or to fuck you up."

Their lips were mere centimeters apart, they were breathing each other's air, and JD's hands clenched in the mesh of the shirt. He closed his eyes halfway, and sucked in a sharp breath as Acosmist leaned in. A breathy whisper left his lips.

"I think I have a favorite color."

Their lips met for one electric second, but JD pulled back regretfully.

"JD?"

"I'm sorry, I can't. Veronica..."

Acosmist smiled.

"That's ok. If you love her I won't try anything more. Thank you for that, though." He pulled away, and rolled his spiked, leather-clad shoulders and slipped on his shades. "Now are you ready for a funeral or what?"

* * *

Acosmist wouldn't stop cracking his knuckles. JD wasn't sure if it was nerves, a habit he didn't realize he was doing, or just because he wanted to, but the people in the row in front of them flinched every time another knuckle popped and echoed a short distance through the grieving church.

They sat in the back row, near the door in case someone noticed how inappropriately Acosmist was dressed and they had to make a run for it.

It was already boring, and they hadn't been there more than twenty minutes. There was at least and hour and a half left to go.

Acosmist leaned over and whispered into his ear, "so I'm trying to figure out why this girl is loved and I can't come up with anything. This all sounds fake."

JD stifled a laugh and the family across the aisle from them glared at him.

"I've been wondering the same thing. Guessing it's cause she was a pretty, white, rich bitch. Not much going for her besides a bank account."

The pastor was trying to find nice words to describe Heather, but really he looked like he was trying to get his hand unstuck from a jar - strained and uncomfortable, maybe a little panicked.

"Wanna play a game?" Acosmist asked after a few minutes of suffering through the ceremony.

"Whatcha got?"

"How many people in the crowd are fake crying? You've got eyes I've got ears let's go."

JD rolled his eyes and looked around. It wasn't surprising, or it shouldn't have been, that there were so many people blatantly crying alligator tears, but by the time he got to 15 he almost felt sorry for Heather. Not exactly how he was hoping this would go.

He wasn't even done counting when Acosmist tapped his hand, leaned over, and whispered "how many people are here?"

"Fuck if I know, ninety?"

"Well fuck, I counted up to fifty then lost track. People sure loved her, huh?"

JD snorted, and Acosmist cracked his right pointer finger three times in quick succession.

"How much longer?"

JD checked the shitty clock in the corner and discovered at least a chunk of time had been eaten up by the game.

"Forty minutes for the service, you probably don't want to stick around for the party and food afterwards?"

"We can celebrate together, away from here. I'm antsy." He cracked the same knuckle three times again, the crackle of bone popping echoed around the back of the church and made the hairs on the back of JD's neck stand on end.

He wasn't easily creeped out, but how much his friend could get that sound from just one finger was on the verge of concerning.

"Hey, let's get slushies after this?" Acosmist asked, and JD smiled.

"Sounds great."

* * *

They were the first out the door when people were allowed to go pray over the open casket. Acosmist didn't know Heather, and JD had killed her, so they figured they didn't need to take part in that portion. Besides, they had a 7/11 waiting for them.

They shared a cigarette next to JD's motorcycle before leaving, and as they finished it, people began streaming out of the church. JD laughed when he saw Kurt and Ram give them a wide birth.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask." Acosmist said as he put the helmet on. "How's you and Veronica doing?"

JD grinned.

"We're a lot better, actually! She's talking to me, and acknowledging that she's crazy for me, so I guess we're back on as a couple."

"That was quick, what happened?"

At this, JD laughed and got onto his bike, and Acosmist followed after him.

"I have no clue! But whatever I did, I'll have to keep it in mind."

As they drove away, neither boy noticed Veronica asking about where she could find them.

* * *

**Chicago, December 1985-**

They didn't share any classes at school. Which, in hindsight, made sense. But JD wasn't always the brightest kid, and he still brought up how he never saw Acosmist at school besides at lunch. Acosmist had been quiet for a long time after he brought it up, then his face scrunched up as if he smelled something bad.

"You know there's a whole different program for disabled kids, right? Plus I'm taking some upper level English and reading comprehension classes."

He had felt like an idiot, and Acosmist just laughed it off, going back to one of the books he always seemed to have on hand. JD didn't think much more of it, besides wondering what the other program learned about, and nothing much came of it.

That is, until three days later. Acosmist burst into his house, having walked the path with JD enough to have it memorized by that point, and looked to be seething with rage. He didn't talk, only began pacing the hall that connected all the rooms. JD had been in his room, and it took him a few minutes to process that his friend was having a breakdown. He sat on his bed, staring at Acosmist, until he paced to the wall, kicked it hard, and screamed some choice expletives.

His voice had knocked JD into gear, and he scrambled off his bed and reached for Acosmist tentatively. When he turned to him and stopped pacing, JD could see his face was turned up into a snarl, and his skin was actually hot to the touch.

JD had met Acosmist when he was angry, so he felt he knew his anger well. However, this was on another level.

"Dude, what's up?" JD asked, and Acosmist seemed a little taken aback by the casual way he asked. Then his expression turned again, and he was venting about his day.

"Those fucks in the reading comp class! I hate them so fucking much, they think I shouldn't be there because I don't "actually read" as if comprehension depends on sight instead of critical thinking!"

"Woah, what?"

"I know! And they're idiots! They can't even find allusions to history in basic texts! Like Jesus Christ, read something other than Huckleberry Finn for once!"

JD chuckled, but Acosmist didn't waver in his rage. He kicked the wall again, hard enough to rattle some dry wall dust free. The white dust settled in his curly hair and dotted across his dark cheeks.

"Here, uh... what do you usually do to calm down?"

It seemed difficult for Acosmist to even think about something other than his anger, but eventually he sighed and some tension left his shoulders.

"My aunt takes me to corner stores and describes it to me without using sight descriptions."

"Should I... should I call her?"

Acosmist shook his head, looking sad.

"She lives in another state."

"Oh."

"Fuck!" He grabbed at his hair and tugged, and the anger was back. He was clearly not going to be able to let go of this so easily.

"Hey, hey, how about I try it in her place?"

"You'd do that?" Acosmist asked, voice wavering and hands clenching. "Fuck man, that'd be awesome, but I can't promise I won't lash out at you."

JD shrugged and grunted to show that he didn't really care. Acosmist was out the door faster than JD could process, and he had to run to catch up with him when he was halfway down the front path.

* * *

They went to a fast food mart, one JD couldn't remember the name of because he was more concerned for his friend. They walked in, and Acosmist took in a deep breath of stale, greasy air.

"Just like the others..." he muttered, then turned towards JD expectantly.

"Uhh... how do I do this?"

"Describe the place, but don't rely on your sight to do so."

"Ok, well white floor tiles, grey walls, it smells like damp, stale hotdogs."

Acosmist frowned.

"I know how it smells, and colors are useless to me." He snapped.

"Oh, shit. Right."

JD thought, and thought, but he couldn't figure out what he had to do. Finally, Acosmist sighed heavily and went to a shelf, grabbed a random bag of treats, and handed them over to JD.

"Start small, I guess. What did I jut give you?"

"Uh... fried pork skins?"

"What's it look like? But put it in terms that someone who has never seen anything could understand."

JD stared at the red and yellow plastic bag and considered this.

"It's..." he traced his finger over the zigzags of color across the label. "Spicy? Like... you know those frogs they found in jungles that are bright to tell predators that they're poisonous? Well, it's like the packaging is warning you that the contents are really hot."

Acosmist nodded along and pursed his lips.

"Good enough. What about the stuff next to those?"

* * *

**Present-**

Both boys took in deep breaths when they stepped into the 7/11, and sighed. Acosmist grinned and JD laughed whole-heartedly at their actions, so ingrained into them at this point.

True to what they discovered as kids, the layout of this 7/11 was the same as the ones they had explored in Chicago, so Acosmist had no difficulty getting to the Slushie machine, and JD felt no need to help him.

That is, until he watched Acosmist expertly pour his drink, somehow knowing just how much to fill his cup to get equal amounts of red, blue, and cola slushie in one cup.

JD was appalled when they were kids, and he was appalled now.

"I cannot believe you still drink it like that, it makes it crap."

"Uh, no? I get all the flavors. It's better that way. No choices."

"What if it has one really bad flavor?"

"They are all the same, JD. Same snacks, same layout, same slushie flavors."

He rolled his eyes and filled up a cup with  _only_ red slushie. Like a civilized person.

"I'm just saying that once I saw a Slushie machine outside LA with an experimental orange cream flavor instead of Blue Raspberry, and it was the worst thing that ever existed. Imagine getting that with Cola. You probably would have died."

Acosmist snickered as he sucked some of his drink up, making some dribble out the corner of his mouth. It seemed he was on his cherry layer.

"Are you sure that wasn't a fever dream?"

"To be honest, no. But it could be a warning."

Acosmist let out a loud laugh that JD couldn't help but join in on. All of Acosmist was infectious, he couldn't help but be drawn to him.

They brought their drinks and a bag of chips to the counter, where The cashier eyed Acosmist, namely his mesh and leather-clad chest. Acosmist just smiled and slid five bucks across the counter, and walked away without taking his change. The cashier stared after him for a moment before turning to JD wth a frown.

"Doesn't he want his change?"

"I'll take it to him. Idiot thinks that just cause he's blind the world around him doesn't really exist."

They didn't talk the rest of the time, but he watched them scribble something on a post-it note before slipping it between the bills of Acosmist's change. They handed the money to him and nodded, he nodded back, and left quickly.

He found Acosmist sitting on the curb, drinking his slushie slowly and fiddling with the baggy parts of his pants.

"The cashier gave you their number." He said as he took the post-it note out of the money. Acosmist held up his hand to ask for said number, and JD passed it to him without a word.

Acosmist sat and seemed to stare into the middle-distance as he ran the paper between his fingers. JD stared down the street and watched as the sun slowly set on white suburbia. Acosmist was a stark contrast to the warm golden light of evening as his brows furrowed and gripped the note tighter.

He stood up when he finished his drink, one hand gripping the number tight, and one hand buried deep in the pocket of his leather jacket.

"I'll be right back. Gotta piss. We should take a ride after this."

JD grunted in acknowledgement and went to his bike as Acosmist went back into the 7/11. He leaned against it for a while, drinking his slushie, then his gaze wandered to the windows that showed the inside of the store. Acosmist was talking to the cashier, rubbing the back of his head and smiling. JD looked away and tried to suck up the last dregs of his slushie.

He was checking his fuel level when Acosmist burst out of the store giggling manically, and his heart leapt to his throat. He knew what that sound meant.

He quickly maneuvered to his friend and ushered him to the back of his bike, only catching a glimpse of the cashier with a fire extinguisher through the window, before he sped off down the street.

Acosmist hadn't stopped giggling, now gripping JD's waist tightly and pressing his face between his shoulder blades.

"What the hell did you do?" JD asked with a smile.

"They thought I was flirting!" Acosmist howled as he sat up straight and threw his head back with laughter.

"I asked them about the number and how a blind guy was supposed to read it to dial it and they fucking thought I was flirting! So I lit the fucking note on fire and threw it on the counter, I don't know what was on there, but it lit up real easy!"

JD recalled seeing a wicker basket for donations to some kind of shelter on the counter, mostly coins but there had been some loose bills in it. He chuckled.

Acosmist finally calmed and leaned heavily against his back.

"Hmm... missed you... missed having a quick get away..."

"When we were kids we just ran, dude. Not that fast."

"I could do things in the moment though. No special planning, no worrying about routes or making sure I don't get seen as a potential threat. Life is easier with you."

"Well I'm glad that I could be of servi-"

Acosmist suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth and held his breath. All he could hear was the rumble of his bike as they sped down the empty road around farm land.

"What..." Acosmist whispered. "Pull over real quick."

There was nothing but trees around them, JD couldn't hear a thing, but he did as he was asked, and Acosmist sat and listened for a few moments when the engine shut off. JD stared at him as a wide grin spread across his face.

"Kurt and Ram. Hear that?"

JD listened, and heard the faint shouts of the football players echoing through the trees. There was something else with them, but he couldn't hear exactly what.

"Let's go scare the crap out of them and ruin their night."

He shrugged and grinned.

"Whatever you say, dude. I'm not gonna argue with someone who just tried to burn down a 7/11."

They snuck into the trees, down a hill, and JD only reached out to stop Acosmist when he saw just who was with the drunk boys.

One of the Heathers was making out with Ram on the ground next to a tipped cow, and barely five feet away...

He gripped Acosmist's shoulder tight, and he turned to him with a frown.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"Fuck..." JD tugged on his hair to ground himself, he felt himself filling with rage but he needed to stay here. "It's Veronica."


	5. Mind games and Bloodstains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the moods for this chapter can be summed up with:
> 
> >:(  
> ;)c  
> >:O  
> >:/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for heavily implied nswf scenes (i don't like to write smut, but i do write the lead up to it and casually mention it), violence, and the use of a word so derogatory that i censor it, which is something i don't normally do in my writing. But I'm white and do not have the right to use it, and neither did the character who used it (he gets his karma really quick tho)
> 
> Also, I want to make it clear that JD and Acosmist's relationship was never meant to be healthy, and should not be seen as such. Acosmist has a very dangerous worldview, JD is not a good person, and idealization is NEVER a good basis of a relationship. it not healthy to base your entire life around the existence of another person.
> 
> this whole semester has been bad for my writing all together, and the only reason I actually got this finished is because of Nanowrimo, which im only like, half-doing.

The ride to Veronica's house was uncomfortable. The girl was about as tall as JD, but was certainly thinner and tried to take up as little space as she could where she was pressed up tightly between Acosmist and JD.

JD drove slow to ensure none of them fell off, and Acosmist stretched his long arms until he reached around Veronica to hold onto JD's waist. He was seething.

Veronica had JD wrapped around her finger and his best friend didn't even know it. One little apology from her had him offering her a ride home to avoid further sexual harassment. Not that she deserved the harassment, but she could easily walk home on her own two feet. She even had the gall to ask about getting slushies, but the both of them got her off that track by saying they burned the 7/11 down.

Perhaps it was shitty to think like this about his best friend's girlfriend, but JD was still his before any of this. So he let himself feel a little bit of sick pride when he felt Veronica tense under his touch.

She didn't like him.

But JD loved her, and he wanted to know why; so when they pulled into Veronica's driveway, Acosmist offered to walk her to her door.

It felt like ages before they reached the front step, as they made no conversation and JD was still at the bike. But Acosmist needed her to trust him if he wanted to find out what made her special, so he grabbed her arm - gently - before she could go any farther.

"I'm... sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, I don't know what I did, but you don't... you don't seem to like me?" He smothered the grin that threatened to spread across his face at how pitiful he managed to sound.

"Sorry, but I don't typically like people who support murder." She spat.

"I... what?"

"You are always talking about burning people alive when I hear you talking with JD! I don't know if he got you into that or the other way around, but it's not ok! You don't get to decide who lives and who dies! And, ok, you seem less obsessive than JD, but I don't feel comfortable letting you stay around JD and support that kind of lifestyle."

Acosmist frowned.

"You... think I actually burned people alive? You think we both actually kill people?"

"I, uh, what?"

He burst into a fit of laughter.

"Veronica! Don't be silly! Oh, oh Jesus fuck, no... that's a joke we share from when we were younger! I am so sorry that I made you think we are actually murderers. You think some teenagers can actually kill people so easily?"

Veronica was silent for a good long minute before letting out a huff of air that could have been a laugh.

"You... didn't set your house on fire? You don't... don't think JD killed Heather?"

"My house did burn, but not because of me, it was a faulty gas line... Are you saying that you actually managed to kill someone and make it look like suicide? I thought she died and JD took responsibility like we would joke about back in Chicago..."

"Um... no, no, you're right, it just... I'm not used to that kind of dark humor? Maybe cut down on it?"

He smiled at the tentative hope in her voice.

"Sure, I'll try to keep you in mind. Are we cool?"

"... yeah. Stay safe, Acosmist."

He nodded and turned back down the path they came up. When the door shut behind him, he finally let a smirk spread over his face, and JD picked up on it.

"What's got you so happy?"

"Not much, just made Veronica like me instead of just barely put up with me."

JD didn't respond, which worried Acosmist as he clambered back onto the bike and folded up his cane.

"What's wrong?"

JD didn't respond for a while. Acosmist let him drive and collect his thoughts, but all the time he was given to think about what was wrong, he never expected the words that came out of his mouth next.

"Fuck Veronica."

"What? But she's-"

"What kind of girlfriend would go on a double date with another guy? If she actually liked me she would have flat out refused! A date isn't that important, Heather could have gotten into that guy's pants any time, she didn't really need Veronica." He sounded choked up, so Acosmist wrapped his arms around him tighter. JD took a hand off the handles to grip his thigh for a moment.

"She just... fuck." He sniffed. "I'm an idiot."

"... I'm spending the night at your house tonight."

JD was quiet, then chuckled. "Do I really sound that bad?"

"Yes. And I'm not going to let you feel this terrible alone. Drop by my Aunt's house so I can grab my bag, and then we can go eat junk at your house until you feel better."

JD nodded and concentrated back on the road.

* * *

Bud was drinking on the couch when they walked into the house. Acosmist held JD's hand tightly, with his school bag thrown haphazardly over one shoulder.

"Hey pop, bring your girlfriend home again?" He asked, not looking up from the tv as they walked inside. JD looked at Acosmist warily, but Acosmist wasn't Veronica. He had seen the start of this behavior, before it got to be too much. He was grinning wide, and responded before JD could say anything.

"Sorry son, daddy's home."

Bud looked up, and his jaw dropped. 

"... Acosmist? That you, son?"

"Hey, you recognized me way quicker than JD did! Clearly I know who loves me more."

Bud laughed loudly and got up to stumble over and wrap Acosmist in a tight hug.

"Never thought my boy would bring you home again! What are you doing here?"

"Had a little fire accident back home, mom and dad passed so I got sent off to my aunt's house, which just so happens to be here."

Bud stepped back and smiled. This was the most cognizant JD had seen his dad in weeks.

"Small world, huh?"

"Yes sir. Now if ya don't mind I've got to go eat junk food with your son in his room. Don't miss me too much, aight?"

JD took the cue and tugged Acosmist's hand towards the stairs and away from his dad. Bud nodded and watched them happily before wandering back to his seat and picking up his beer again.

"Thanks for not being weird with him."

"Why would I be weird?"

"That's the first time he's talked to someone I brought home and not done the whole role reversal thing the whole time. Veronica hated it."

Acosmist gripped his hand tighter.

"Well Veronica can fuck right off. Bud's a cool guy and you're worth so much more than what she gives you."

JD pulled him into his room and laughed.

"I mean, you say that, but I did kill her friend. You know, you were at her funeral today." His tone joked, but his words didn't, and Acosmist picked up on it. JD stared at his shoes as Acosmist stepped towards him. He put his hand out, trailed it up his arm, to his neck then finally cupped his cheek, which made him look up.

"Maybe you did, but maybe this town is better with one less Heather." His thumb lightly traced the edge of his mouth, and JD couldn't help but lean into his large hand, and Acosmist shuffled a bit closer. "And maybe I think you need a little bit of a distraction."

It was clear from his tone, what he meant, and JD had to admit he let it happen, but soon enough, Acosmist was leaning in and he was pushing up and they were kissing. It was almost a mirror of that morning, just the opposite time of day and a different bedroom.

And once again, JD pulled away. But this time it was only to ask a question.

"I thought you said you wouldn't try to get in my pants anymore?"

Acosmist didn't even try to hide the disappointment that spread across his face.

"I'll stop if you want me to. I just... I thought... you... seemed to need this."

"You're ok with being used?"

"JD, I would go to the ends of the earth to be used by you. You are the only real object the world has to offer." He purred, and heat rose in JD's cheeks. He was almost glad he couldn't see how flustered that made him.

Instead, JD threw his arms around his neck and kissed him hard. Acosmist grunted in surprise, but his hands quickly found purchase on his hip and the back of one of his thighs.

JD walked backwards, tugging his best friend towards his bed, and pulled him down so he was caged underneath the larger boy. Acosmist laughed into the kiss as they situated themselves better, then moved down to bite JD's neck and collarbone.

JD moved his head to the side to allow him more room and reveled in his rough, loving touches. His callused hands had found their way under his shirt, and his legs pushed his own apart. As his hands re-explored his body, he stopped biting his neck in favor of nuzzling his neck and breathing in his scent.

He broke into a fit of cheery giggles suddenly, and sat up.

"You got a bathroom somewhere in here?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Oh, jasey, you wish. It was gonna be a surprise, but I just can't help myself." He bit his lip and growled, "I've got this real nice lil' dress and stockings number that are just begging to be worn while I give you the best fuck of your life."

His mind turned to the dress he saw in his closet that morning and gulped. God, he didn't realize how much he wanted to see Acosmist in that until just now. Heat spread down his body and he let out a shaky, excited reply.

"W-why don't you just change in here?"

Acosmist grinned. "And give you a show? I just might."

He ran a hand down JD's side until he hit the back of his knee, then lifted his leg and kissed his inner thigh before he slipped off the bed and fumbled for his bag.

JD had watched him take off his pants that morning, had slept with him shirtless the night before, but getting to watch him make a show of taking of his clothes and putting on a dress was truly something else. It was then that he realized something that had always been true, but never acknowledged.

He would die for Acosmist.

* * *

**Chicago, February 1985-**

Valentine's Day had never been special to JD. According to Acosmist, people only gave him valentines cause they had to, and he couldn't even read them cause they weren't in Braille, so he didn't exactly enjoy the concept either.

But best friends and horny teenagers would always find ways to make the best of any situation, so why not spend their Valentines together in more ways than one?

That was the start of their more-than-friends relationship, though neither knew just what to call it. They had felt that giving it a name would make things awkward, so they danced around that particular topic while exploring their bodies and forgetting that JD was set to leave in only a few more months.

JD had dropped the "boyfriend" term first, while telling off a teacher.

Acosmist had wound up in detention, his anger getting the best of him before he could get away from his classmates. He had a few bruises, the older kid had a broken nose and a trip to the doctor.

JD didn't ask or knock before he waltzed into the detention room and took Acosmist's hand to get him to stand up and leave. The teacher had not been pleased in the least.

"What do you think you're doing, young man?"

"Taking my boyfriend home, sir." JD had replied, and walked calmly away with Acosmist on his arm, the teacher too shocked to process it until it was too late.

* * *

After that, they felt more comfortable using pet names and certain b-words for each other, though they were always best friends above all else.

Which only served to make JD's departure all the more painful for the both of them.

* * *

**Present-**

Acosmist woke Friday morning to lips on his neck and a hand snapping the band of one of the stockings he never took off the night before.

He smiled and grabbed a fistful of JD's thigh as he turned over, making him sigh in pleasure.

"You have no idea how much I needed that." JD whispered.

"I dunno, your whining kinda gave you away."

JD lightly punched him and laughed.

"You jackass... come on, we've still got school."

"Well fuck."

* * *

The bike ride to school was comfortably silent, with Acosmist holding tight to JD, and the hum of pavement beneath them.

“Acosmist?”

“Yeah?”

“I still like Veronica. I know you don’t, but I can’t just stop liking someone like that. Not like you can. I mean I’m still so hung up about you and I have you back-“

Acosmist shushed him and smiled.

“It’s ok, JD. Emotions suck but you can’t help what you feel. Just promise you won’t leave me in the dust?”

JD took in a sharp breath as he turned the last corner to Westerburg High.

“Acosmist, I couldn’t stop thinking about you for years, up until Veronica, I basically had tunnel vision.”

“There’s no reason why you can’t keep your eye on two tunnels. As long as she loves you back I’m fine with you dating her. Hopefully she’s the same.”

They pulled into the parking lot and shuffled off of the bike.

“Good. Did I ever tell you about when she came into my room drunk as hell, wanting to have sex cause apparently Heather Chandler was going to castrate her?”

“No, this is news to me, what did you do?” Acosmist asked with a chuckle.

“Well I’m not going to turn down a pretty, desperate girl crawling through my window at two am.”

“You know damn well that’s not what I’m asking.”

JD rolled his eyes as they walked through the front doors of the school.

“Yeah, ok, she topped. Are you happy? She also scratched my back up really bad, like fuck.”

Acosmist threw his head back and laughed hard. “Jesus Christ you are such a fucking a twink!” He shouted, causing a few student bystanders to look their way in confusion.

The bell rang, and Acosmist dropped his hand from where he had been holding onto JD’s arm, in order to grab his cane and unfold it.

“I have to get to class, but I assure you, I’m going to be making fun of you for quite a while.” He leaned over to plant a quick kiss on JD’s face, then set off down the hall and into the mass of students that was slowly dispersing into classrooms. JD stood there at the entrance, hand to his cheek where Acosmist kissed, and let a smile cross his features.

* * *

Acosmist had heard the whispers; of course he had. You learn to use your other senses acutely when you’re missing one. So of course he heard what people were saying about Veronica.

She didn’t really deserve it, he knew, but he wouldn’t deny the sick grin that twisted across his face when he heard other students calling her terrible things. She should get at least some punishment for making JD hurt so much, even if that hurt led to JD letting him in again.

But JD wasn’t around at lunch, and he didn’t show up to English.

There was nothing holding him back during English.

* * *

Acosmist didn’t pay attention to the other people in that class. He usually had JD, and the teacher let him do as he pleased most of the time. But apparently that jock, Kevin, who had witnessed him kissing Ram, was in the class. Without JD there to distract him, Acosmist sat and reread The Color Purple even though he had it memorized and he had known what to write for the presentation the moment the work was assigned.

But since he didn’t need to concentrate on the book, he could eavesdrop. And that wasn’t such a smart thing to do. Not when he was the sole black kid in a room of white suburbanites who either didn’t know any better or flat out didn’t care.

Because one second Kevin was analyzing Huckleberry Finn, and the next, his worst mistake was coming out of his mouth.

“Man fuck that ending. That n*gger deserves to be put in chains. He lured Huck away from his home. Isn’t this like, predatory?”

Acosmist shot up out of his desk and faced where he thought Kevin was. The class fell completely silent.

“What the  _fuck_ did you just say?”

“Justice, watch your language!” The teacher said, appalled.

“No! What the fuck did you just call Jim? Did you seriously just say that fucking bullshit?”

Kevin seemed to flounder. “I, uh-“

“You can’t say that shit! What is _wrong_ with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you! You’re the one making a fuss and disrespecting our teacher!” He shot back as he regained some traction.

“Disrespecting- fuck you! You wouldn’t know respect if it slapped you in the fucking face! What gives you the right to call Jim that?”

The smirk on Kevin’s face was nearly palpable. Acosmist didn’t need to see to know it was there.

“It’s a free country dude, I can say what I want. Freedom of speech, ever heard of it? I know freedom is kinda a new thing for your type.”

It was lucky for Acosmist that Kevin sat in the front row, only two seats over, because he didn’t think before lunging towards Kevin with a snarl. The teacher yelled at them to stop, but Kevin - the coward - was already running out the door and Acosmist was after him the moment he realized he had escaped him, from the sound of the door slamming shut.

Running after people was not something Acosmist was used to. Certainly, he did it more than the average blind kid back in freshman year, when he didn’t know how to deal with his anger issues, but it had been a few years. Luckily, Kevin was a sloppy runner and let his feet slam hard into tile, letting Acosmist know where he was heading.

There wasn’t much technique to his process, besides his ability to skim the wall with his hand so he could know when to turn. Besides that, he just ran until He could feel Kevin within arms reach and he tackled him before he could turn the corner to get onto a flight of stairs.

Once he was on the floor, Acosmist grinned. He sat on the guys chest, used one hand to grab his chin so he couldn’t move, and pounded his knuckles into his face. Hard.

He got a few more punches in, Kevin crying all the while, before something made him pause.

“Acosmist?”

He pulled back and turned towards the stairwell Kevin tried escaping to. He didn’t try to escape now.

“JD?”

“What, uh, what’s up?”

“Beating up a motherfucker. What’s it to ya?” He bit out, still very angry. His legs shook from keeping Kevin still beneath him. JD didn’t come any closer.

“Yeah, I can tell. You made his face look like one too many shots on your parent’s anniversary.”

Kevin let out a confused whine and Acosmist chuckled at the reference to their youth.

He took a deep breath and stood up to stand by his friend.

“Why weren’t you in English?”

He heard some scuffling and then pounding footsteps, and assumed Kevin had left the area. JD took a moment before saying anything.

“Have you heard the rumors?”

“About Veronica? Duh.”

JD huffed, and Acosmist dropped his tense shoulders.

“Sorry dude. She’s not taking them well, I presume?”

“Yeah. Come on.”

He took his hand gently and lead him up the stairs a bit then sat on a step, dragging Acosmist with him.

“... hey Acosmist.” Veronica sounded wrecked, and his previous happiness about the situation came back as guilt.

“Hey buddy, how are you holding up?” He asked tenderly. Both JD and Veronica seemed surprised at his tone, as they froze and didn’t speak for a moment.

“You uh... you’ve got blood on your hands...” Veronica finally said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It’s ok, he was racist.”

She snorted and JD sighed in relief.

“You were right, JD, he is good at cheering people up.”

“Only like minded people!” He said with a small laugh, and a nudge to JD’s arm. He responded by wrapping his arm around his back and kissing Acosmist on the cheek.

“Oh!” Veronica said suddenly, “uh, I didn’t realize you guys...”

“Do you mind, Veronica?” JD asked quietly.

“Huh?”

“I wanna be selfish here, and date you both. Please don’t make me choose.”

“Does that mean I date Acosmist? Cause I don’t know...”

“Sweetie, I don’t want you, I just want JD. If you don’t want to kiss me, my gay ass is not going to be offended.” Acosmist said lightly. JD laughed and Veronica sighed.

“Ok, yeah, I’m fine with that.”

JD leaned away from Acosmist, probably to kiss Veronica, and they both giggled.

“Now, school’s gonna be out soon.” Acosmist said suddenly as he stood. “We should meet up somewhere private to discuss plans of attack.”

“Attack?” Veronica asked. JD stood and excitedly took his hand.

“Of course, Veronica. Some assholes hurt my boyfriend’s girlfriend! We can’t just let that slide, right JD?”

“Right! We gotta get them back!”

JD looked back at Veronica with a face-splitting smile, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“And we should go now before any teachers find me and give me detention for beating the crap out of a football player. Let’s go, come on!”

They laughed and left the school as quick as they could while avoiding the security guard assigned to the task of finding Acosmist.

* * *

“So.” JD said as he perched on Veronica’s bed,  “any ideas?”

“We could egg their houses.” Veronica suggested with a shrug. She glanced over to Acosmist as he came back to her room, wiping his hands on a towel. He wasn’t splattered with blood from a possibly broken nose anymore.

“Make everyone in town ignore them so they think they’re dead and trapped in the ethereal plane because no one will pay attention to them.” He said with a completely straight face. JD snorted and tried to cover his face before he broke down from laughter. Acosmist frowned. “What? It worked for my DnD party.”

“I can’t believe you play Dungeons and Dragons, Acosmist.” Veronica said. She giggled at the thought.

“I’ll have you know, I was a very successful tiefling bard. I could make anyone swoon.” He said, putting his hands to his chest and dramatically bowing, then swinging his towel over his shoulder when he stood up again.

“I’m sure you aren’t to be trifled with back in fantasy Chicago, but unfortunately we don’t have magic.” JD said through some chuckles.

Acosmist made his way over to JD and draped himself over his shoulders.

“Well whatever we do, we should do it Sunday night or Monday morning so everyone at school knows.”

JD snapped and gave a thumbs up.

“Good idea. That gives us today and tomorrow to plan.”

“It’s gotta be humiliating.” 

“Why?” Veronica asked, and Acosmist scowled.

“They’ve gotta pay for what they did.” Veronica was surprised at the protective and angry edge to Acosmist’s tone. She didn’t think he would think highly enough of her to care so much.

“I, uh, o-oh...”

He suddenly softened and smiled.

“I wasn’t sure about you before, gotta be honest, I thought you were stealing JD away from me. But he talked to me about it and I’ve come to terms with you.”

She thought “coming to terms with you” was an odd way of telling someone he cared.

“Well... we have all tomorrow to plan, why don’t we order a pizza and just, like, hang out?”

JD smiled, and Acosmist hummed in agreement.

* * *

“Ok, ok. So. We lure them out to the forest.” JD said with a giggle.

It was Saturday, and they were sprawled around JD’s bedroom, a beer in hand for each of them.

“We take their clothes somehow!” Veronica said. She wasn’t much for the alcohol, but she seemed to like how giggly JD got when drunk. Acosmist could blame her, cause he liked it too. It was cute.

“Slash their tires so they gotta walk.” He chipped in.

“How do you expect to do that?” Veronica asked with a chuckle, and he reached into his pocket to grab his butterfly knife. It had been a parting gift from one of his friends in Chicago. He didn’t use it much for anything other than a comfort item, but it was sharp. Veronica laughed lightly.

“I should’ve known.”

He smirked. “Don’t underestimate me. It’s bad luck.”

“Wait Wait Wait...” JD exclaimed suddenly as he sat up and swayed. He was certainly the drunkest of the three of them; Acosmist could hold his liquor, Veronica didn’t like drinking, and JD liked getting lost in the alcohol.

“How are we g-gonna lure them out?”

Veronica and him fell silent as they thought and Acosmist scoffed.

“What is it, Aco? You got something?”

“They’re straight, right?”

“Uh, Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?” Veronica asked.

“Then they’ll do anything if they think they’ll get sex out of it. Veronica can be bait.”

“I... don’t think I’m into that.”

“We wouldn’t let them get you.”

“Yeah, but...”

“Let’s think of what we’ll do before we get to the fine details,” JD said flippantly. “We could dump buckets of paint and glitter on them.”

Acosmist crawled over to JD and planted a kiss on his cheek. He leaned into the touch for a moment then sat up with a gasp.

“Acosmy! You’re a genius!”

Acosmist furrowed his brows in confusion. “What?”

“We can make the whole school think they’re gay!” Veronica and JD laughed and quickly fell into planning, and neither noticed the scowl making itself known on Acosmist’s face. After a quip about sparkling water, he got up and went to the door.

“I’m gonna get a drink of water.”

“Come back soon!”

He didn’t respond, instead he used his cane to make his way through the house and to the living room where they had left Bud with his deconstruction tapes.

He looked up when Acosmist sat down next to him.

“I highly doubt I’m more interesting than what those kids upstairs are doing.”

“Sure. You think you know a guy, then he implies your identity is a joke. Do you think it’d be a funny prank to make people think some assholes are gay?”

“Son, I’ve sucked too much dick in my life to think being gay is a joke. Unless I’m trying to make fun of myself.”

“Ah, a man after my own heart.” He joked, but the frown didn’t leave his face.

“I don’t know what exactly he said, but son, my boy loves you. Never stopped loving you. He might Not say it with words, but he’s never had anyone else like you in his life.”

Acosmist snorted. “Not many people like me.”

“I mean, never had a relationship with someone like you two had. Not even that girl he’s got up there.”

They sat back on the couch again as a building blow up on screen from several different angles. They each took a sip from their beers, and Acosmist sighed.

“I fucking hate emotions.”

“Now that’s something I can drink to.”

* * *

JD and Veronica came downstairs about an hour later to see them quietly talking about b-list horror films.

“I think since you can see how bad it looks, it takes the horror out of the movies.” Acosmist was saying. “Just listen to them without watching, then you’ll be feeling those gore sounds under your skin. It’s the worst.”

“Is that why you never liked when I played horror movies?”

“You have no idea. I tried listening to porn once and let me tell you, it was a waste of money. Sounded like everyone was in pain, not having a good time.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is, you abandoned us to talk about grown up things with my dad, huh? You become an adult and get bored with us kids?” JD asked as he leaned over the back of the couch. Veronica gave him a confused look and he shrugged.

“Didn’t you know? Acosmist is eighteen. His mom held him back a year.”

“What? Why?” She looked at Acosmist in bafflement.

“Little may you know, but being blind sometimes has its downsides.” He replied. “Overprotective parents can be one of them.”

“His mom was a downright nut.” Bud said. “Just to get it straight now, he’s my favorite of you all. He takes time to visit with a youngun like me.”

“I’m sorry that your dad is so irresponsible, Bud, I’ll try to whip him into shape.” Acosmist said as he patted his leg and stood. Veronica looked at JD with concern, and he just smiled.

“Did you guys get a plan figured out while I was talking with our boy?”

“Oh boy, have we.” JD said with a grin.

“It’s a wild ride.” Veronica added. “You had something going with that “pretend they’re dead” thing.”

He raised his eyebrows at that, and JD nudged him.

“Let’s go back up, and we’ll tell you all about it.”

There was no way he could say no to the way he sounded so excited to share. Even if he was still a little mad about what he had been saying before. He would never agree with feeding into the heteronormative standards society liked to force on him at any chance, and that whole plan they had was only funny if you lived by those kinds of ideals.

He tried to quiet the rant he so wanted to spew to JD and Veronica as he followed them back upstairs.


End file.
